Social work course hopes to dispel age stereotypes
By Jessica Dingley
Broadside Correspondent

Old people are slow.

Seniors citizens sit in rocking chairs all day and lead boring lives.

Old people are sick.

If "parents just don't understand," then senior citizens must be completely in the dark. To Molly Davis, a professor of social work for New Century College, these are precisely the stereotypes about older people that she would like to address and dispel.

"A lot of people have a fear of aging," said Davis, who has worked hard to promote intergenerational dialogue during a three-year study on aging.

According to Davis, misconceptions about the older generation stem from a lack of contact with older adults. Her course on aging attempts to dissipate these.

As part of a course called Social Work Approaches to Working with Older Adults, senior citizens from the Learning and Retirement Institute (LRI) visit Davis' class and converse with students. The objective of their conversation is to bridge the generation gap.

Is it really that easy to break through decades of misunderstanding? According to Davis, not all participants are ready to accept each other's perceptions and lifestyles at first. She also admits that during these discussions the dialogue can get pretty heated.

Therein lies the purpose of this course: to provoke, challenge and educate. These interactions invoke a multitude of shared ideas, opinions and beliefs.

Davis feels most rewarded when seniors get a chance to share their personal histories with the students.

"You could hear a pen drop," said Davis, describing the captivating effect when seniors sit down to tell students about their lives and their memories.

Situated between two students, Jaqueline Biven, a retired travel agent, shared some of the more exciting memories in her life since retirement. She talked about her adventures in New Orleans and the time she went to the Sugar Bowl game.

Alan Montecino, a retired Air Force officer, is another active member of the Learning and Retirement Institute.

"Computers are a great window for our people," said Montecino, a computer whiz who teaches classes to his fellow members at LRI. For its members, LRI is a chance to enrich lives through continued education and intellectually stimulating activity.

According to Lydia MacDonald, a retired school teacher, intergenerational dialogue is "just fabulous." MacDonald said that Davis' class is a place "where you can meet the children of the future."

As a result of this interaction, Davis has seen previously held misconceptions of older adults disappear.

"Their minds are still active," said Kiem Le, a social work student at Mason. "One of the most important things is for me to learn from the Learning and Retirement institute," Le said. Not only does Davis believe that these intergenerational dialogues are necessary, she also stresses that senior citizens need to become a more vital part of the entire college community. She believes that because these seniors come from such diverse and varied backgrounds, they serve as excellent mentors within many fields of study. She also believes that students should be given a chance to "pick the brains" of experienced elders.

In the near future, Davis hopes to have a technology transfer program implemented at Mason that will enable seniors from the LRI to familiarize themselves with computers and the newest technology.

However, Davis' ultimate goal is for students to walk away from the course "challenged as human beings."

She believes her encouragement of intergenerational dialogue is "the right thing to do."